Customer Reviews

Motorola V551 Phone (AT&T)

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(69)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(44)
1 star:		(84)

 

 

This is a great phone with some very good features. I just swithched from TMobile since the servic coverage was lousy in my area (ohio). The cingular coverage is great here and the phone is great.

+
>Speakerphone - The speaker phone is very clear, Both parties can hear & talk clearly on this.

> Camera - The camera takes pretty good quality pics, though not like a regular digital camera but as along as it you just want to capture pics for the moment, it's good.

> Bluetooth - works awesome! I connected my jabra bt 250 with the phone, and it works great. I leave the phone in the living are and use the jabra on the 2nd floor, and it works just fine.

> Good feel of the phone, nice rubbery outer feel to the phone.

>I was also able to download some ringtnes from wap sites, so that works nice. My friends from outside USA were able to send me ringtones which worked just fine on this phone.

> You get it for free.

CONS (minor)

> You cant activate the speakerphone without opening the phone & also the speakerphone is behind the phone.

The phone is overall a complete packeage. However, there are a couple problems that I have experienced with this phone.

First, the battery indicator goes very quickly from full to 2/3 to "low battery". Second, the brushed metal on the fron of the clamshell does scratch easily.

Other than that, the hardware is excellent. While the programming could be somewhat improved, the important thing is that the phone will be able to coexist quite nicely with my laptop (a 12-inch iBook with a Bluetooth adapter). Call quality is very good, the Bluetooth implementation is very similar to the V600 (transfer audio, photo, and video between computer and phone easily) once you get it paired with your computer.

Games: I don't view a cellphone as a device on which to play games; if that was a priority I would have bought one of the N-gages. Instead, I am looking for a good, functional phone that works well.

I live in the Minneapolis area, and before the merger, there was AT&T Wireless but no Cingular. This phone may be the best Motorola that Cingular has to offer as far as capabilities are concerned, and for much less than the Razr, and without the Razr's bling factor.

What I look for in a cellphone:
1. GSM. The sim idea is probably one of the best ideas I have seen in a cellphone - ever.

2. Bluetooth. With it, I get a phone that works well with my other equipment, and that goes a long ways. It's nice that the Bluetooth capabilities are not crippled, like Verizon does to the V710. (Can you hear ME now?!)

3. Quad-band. Great to have if you travel abroad, though the international roaming rates are the real killer.

4. Clamshell/flip phone. I don't want to accidentally hit the "send" key.

After doing some homework/research on it, I ordered it and just received mine. Glad I did. BTW, thanks for all the reviews here, it did help in my decision-making. It's a nice phone with some great features i.e. bluetooth and EDGE. This is few steps up from the Moto V400 (what I previously owned, another good phone). I would highly recommend this to those who like flip phones and don't mind not having the smallest cell phone around. A lot of positives have been written here so I'm going to jump to things you might worry.

I didn't give this phone 5 stars because the hotkey for the internet is placed too close to the send button that it can be accidently hit too easily. Each time you press it, Cingular will charge you 2 cents for the 2k data usage if you have the pay-as-you-go plan, even if you cancel off immediately (what a great way for Crapular to make few extra bucks!).

Another reason: if you've decided to buy this phone, do check to make sure it's from the BA batch and not from the AA batch (by checking on the phone underneath the battery when you take the battery out, it's some numbers/letters followed by BA or AA). There have been problems with *some* phones from the AA batch that the screen would go white randomly. It's substantial enough that Moto has asked Cingular to stop the initial distribution. Any batches above AA will solve this issue.

Unless you're a nitpicker or a disgruntled Cingular user (see below), I have no doubt you will be pleased. If you're Donald Trump, go with the Razr V3.

Bottom Line

Strongly recommended. This phone replaced a highly-rated NEC 525 so my assessment is largely in comparison to it. Based on my research, the V551 has virtually the same features as the much more expensive Razr V3(although not as thin and made largely of plastic rather than brushed aluminum). From the many online reviews I've read, early versions of the V551 had problems with lockups and dropped calls. I haven't seen many of those types of comments lately so I'm assuming Motorola worked the kinks out.

Pros

--Very good reception and sound quality. Gets three and four bars in my office; I had to stand by the window to use the NEC
--It's nice looking; the body is mostly plastic but appears solidly made (the NEC was plug ugly). Nice raised number keys.
--Calls and rings can be made very loud (which is good since I often carry it in a pocket or briefcase, or have it in the car with the sunroof open and music blaring)
--Decent quality pictures for a phone camera
--Bluetooth
--MP3 ringtones; also extensive selection of built in ringtones (although most aimed at young users rather than professionals).
--Good speaker phone function
--EDGE makes for fast web browsing
--Excellent procedure for downloading and saving data via WAP--much easier than the NEC
--I can now access Hotmail which I couldn't with the NEC
--Nice looking screen
--ITAP text entry system works better than the similar function on the NEC
--Good voice dialing (the voice tags on my NEC simply took me to that phone book entry and didn't actually dial which the Moto does)
--Ability to change ring volume and method (to include a useful vibrate then ring method) with external keys is very handy; ring volume can be made very loud
--Buttons and functions are highly customizable
--Very good date book
--Quad band (I've used my NEC and the Siemens it replaced in about a dozen countries, including Iraq)
--Nice price ($74 from AT&T)

Cons

--Organization of the phone book is a common complaint but once I figured it out, it's fine. You can store five numbers and an email per entry. (You must save entries to the phone not the SIM, and organize by primary listing). It's not the best--the NEC allowed multiple emails plus other information--but it works.
--Battery life is also a complaint but I found that by following Moto's recommendations--completely discharge and re-charge it the first few times--it's fine. Now I can go 3 to 5 days between charges with normal use. (As another reviewer noted, the battery life was short for the first few days I had it but then improved dramatically.)
--Physically the V551 is a bit thick compared not only to my NEC but also to my previous Motos--a Star Tac and V60. But it does fit in a suit jacket pocket
--Speaker phone function can only be turned on during a call, not before
--Maximum time before the screen turns off for power saving is 20 seconds. You have to touch a key to make it come back on. This can interfere with things like downloads
--Screen icons are small and fuzzy; the user's manual doesn't explain what they are
--Small navigation keys, but that's the price you pay for a relatively small phone
--Of the three built-in skins, two are glaringly bright and tacky. As with the ringtones, Moto was clearly focused on young users rather than professionals
--When using a Bluetooth headset, the V551 will only use a cheesy, stock ringtone--personal ones will not work
--You have to go through the recognition routine with a Bluetooth device every time you use it (although this only takes about ten seconds).
--Works great with a Moto Bluetooth headset but I've had less luck linking with a non-Moto Bluetooth adapter for my computer
--Lousy user's manual
--Lousy user's manual
--Did I mention the lousy user's manual? (this is inexcusable)
--Voice dialing is not universal. In other words, it "learns" one voice rather than responding to anyone saying the correct word or phrase.
--Stubby antenna (although this is a trade-off: I get better reception than with the internal antenna on my NEC)
--I would have been happy to pay the extra fifty cents or so it would have cost to have real metal on the front instead of plastic made to look like metal.
--The synchronization software (Motorola Mobile Phone Tools)and cable cost extra. I have not been able to make it function. Motorola's support is utterly worthless--I asked for help online and they told me to call them. Two attempts led to disconnects after 10-15 minutes on hold without ever getting to an actual tech person. The software developer--BVRP--is trying to help but hasn't been able to fix the problem. I may seek a refund from the online vendor and look into alternative sync software.

I've had the v551 for about three weeks and had nothing but good luck with it. After reading some of the reviews, its obvious they either didn't take the time to read the manual or didn't look at all the menu options. Example - you can store multiple numbers per name. My wife got the Razor at the same time and while I like a lot about that phone, this one was a better fit for me.

Pros:
- Great reception so far - even when I'm about 70 miles from the nearest large city.
- Battery life is too good to be true. Only charged the phone twice in the past three weeks and with fairly heavy usage. I allowed the battery to completely discharge each time which some users don't think to do.
- Camera works ok. It's not a 4M camera, but it is easy to use and for the screen size does what I would expect.
- Voice phonebook works like a champ - even in the car with the window cracked and the radio on, it picks the correct number.
- Speaker phone works well in quiet rooms.
- Good durability so far. I ride a bike a lot and need to carry in my pant pocket and it has survived so far.
- Vibrate and ring feature is great. I've had trouble finding phones that vibe and ring at the same time previously.

Cons:
- Downloaded tones don't sound as loud as I would like.
- Speaker is just slightly softer than I would prefer. Its not always easy to hear if there is much background noise. Most of the time I don't notice it though.
- Video capture was a waste of a menu option - looks like 1 fps and the audio capture has a lot of hiss.
- A little on the heavy side and a little thick compared to some of the phones on the market, but feels rugid enough to survive a drop (haven't tried yet).
- I've got this with Cingular and they get you every way they can. You have to pay for tones, then use up bandwidth time to actually receive it on the phone (buying off their site). It doesn't break the bank, but seems kind of stupid to have to pay twice for the stuff.
- AOL's IM is on the phone. Who uses that crap anymore? :)

I'm very satisfied with this phone and would recommend to anyone.

Recently I bought my first flip-phone after saying goodbye to my trusty ol' 4-year old "Candy Bar" Nokia 5190 (it was hard giving it up--sniff, sniff, I'll miss you) :( :(

After poring thru almost every review imaginable on the latest flip-phone trends and craze, it was down to three models for me: This, the Motorola V551, the LG 1400, and Samsung P107. Actually the final showdown was between the V551 and the LG 1400. Both are gorgeous phones with features galore, but the Motorola won it in the end simply because it has been in the cell phone biz longer plus the fact it has a speakerphone (which the LG 1400 doesn't). I know that doesn't sound like a scientific decision, but I trust my gut instinct.

To be honest, I was risking getting a phone with these many features, thought I'd be over my head. But the V551 has made the transition from my "Candy Bar" Nokia very easy and proved my gut instincts to be right. First thing that strikes me right away is the clarity and reception of this phone. The person's voice comes thru loud and clear as a whistle ! The feel is solid and comfortable in your hand. Buttons are also logically laid out. Even those who consider themselves with "clumsy fingers" will find the layout very pleasing to the eye and easy to maneuver. Yes, it might be possible to press the "Internet" button (as others have pointed out) in the dark if you are not careful, but so far that has not happened once with me (and I have big hands).

Some users here have complained about its battery life, but unless you are constantly playing games (which actually is difficult considering this one comes loaded with only one game) or chatting nonstop 24/7, you won't need to charge it every day. My one pet peeve with cell phones is having to charge it every day, something that I did not need to do with my ol' Nokia and luckily, that is not the case here with the V551. Maybe one charge every 4 or 5 days (maybe 3 days with heavy use) and I use the phone daily and keep it turned on throughout the day. So "battery phobics" need not fear with this one. It is NOT a "Battery Fiend". I heard from LG users the LG 1400 phone eats up more battery compared to this phone, which was another deciding factor in choosing to go with the Motorola.

I am sure I will grow to love this phone even more with time and continued use. Its beautiful clam shell exterior masks an equally beautiful LCD screen and layout. But the heart and guts of a phone is what matters and this one has plenty of it. I feel my money has been well spent on a very reliable brand and model. It has almost every conceivable feature (many I probably won't even use) and for the money, it's hard to beat.

The phone has performed well. No dropped calls, good reception and sound quality. I'm charging it every other day.

As of now, March 2005, you will not get the rebate if you are porting your existing phone number to Cingular. Amazon seems to be unable to say that while you are ordering the phone with a Cingular plan but they will make it perfectly clear when the phone is delivered. If you can't get the rebate you may be able to get a better deal at the mall and have the phone working that day. See if you can port your number and get the rebate at: www.amazon.com/keep-your-number.

I have to say, I spent a lot of time fretting about whether to buy this phone because my old phone had such good reception and battery power.

But. Let me say: I think the battery is great! I charged this phone up fully, the charge lasted several days and I waited till it ran out completely. Then I re-charged it Sunday night and took it with me, fully charged, to work on Monday. I had a full, three-bar charge that lasted three days (through Wednesday). It's now end of day Thursday and I'm still at two bars. It looks like one charge will have successfully gotten me through the entire work week.

Now, I don't take a lot of pictures and scroll through them and show my friends and use my bluetooth and all that. I call people. I talk a moderate amount (maybe 30 minutes a day). If this describes what you want out of a phone, then you probably will find it to be a great phone with great battery power. I know some of you use the phone a lot more rigorously, but if you're a moderate user like me, you shouldn't be afraid of the battery power at all.

Also -- the reception is great! I get reception in places my old phone didn't -- and I had never had a complaint about its reception. So hopefully this will allay some of the fears the other reviews might have raised.

Motorola's latest high-end flip-phone doesn't have the sexy form factor of the RAZR, but it's loaded (some might say bloated) with function. This is a worthy successor to the TDMA series that started with the StarTac and progressed through the V60 model. It features a similar form-factor to the latter, though slightly thinner, but with a wealth of new features.

The most obvious improvement over the V60 (and its follow-on, the V60 color) is the beautiful interior color screen. Unlike the V60 color, the V551's screen is actually used to display improved graphics (including wallpaper, screensaver, downloaded images, or photos/videos shot with the phone itself). Also improved is the outer display, which is large enough to read comfortably (unlike the poorly thought out multiline display of the V60 color).

As with many advanced GSM phones, the V551 provides features like internet browsing, a low-res still and video camera, and MIDI and MP3 ringtones. In addition, the V551 is Bluetooth enabled, which allows you to transfer data from the phone to a Bluetooth enabled computer without wires. You can also use a Bluetooth headset, which seems minor, but is hugely convenient in the car.

On the downside, the V551 retains many of Motorola's classic drawbacks. The manual is, to be kind, weak. Large swaths of the phone's function are un- or under-documented. The V551 also continues Motorola's poor ringer setting design. In particular, if you have the phone in an audible alert mode and you wish to switch to vibrate (e.g., you find yourself in a meeting and realize you didn't turn the ringer off), you can't do this without the phone beeping. The V551's stylized keyboard is difficult to dial without looking - the number buttons flush design is hard to pick up by feel. Further, the function buttons include an internet browser key which is easy to press in place of the dial key.

Cingular's version of this phone (I believe the generic model is V550) is larded with Cingular-specific items. The internet browser mentioned above can be launched by several "handy" shortcuts. In addition to the dedicated key, there are several items on the Media Mall home page that take you by browser to various Cingular locations. You can also get to the Cingular store via the ringtones panel.

This wouldn't be quite so bad if it didn't all feed into Cingular's incredibly transparent marketing plan. Want to load new MIDI or MP3 ringtones to augment the mediocre selection given to you with the phone? Buy them from Cingular's marketplace! Want to download your own? Buy Motorola's software plus USB/or/Bluetooth package for half-again the price of the phone (hey, I might as well just buy a bunch of ringtones from Cingular)! Same goes for games (none ship with the phone) and wallpapers.

You can use the phone with any Bluetooth enabled computer (or with a third-party Bluetooth/USB dongle) to download ringtones, but you'll have to surf around the web to find out how, as it's not documented in the manual. While you're surfing, make sure to shop for a belt clip or case, as Motorola's declined to ship even the most basic version with this phone.

Overall I'm happy with the performance of this phone: excellent form factor (especially the reduced length of the antenna over the V60), crisp display, good sound (including the speakerphone, though its inability to operate during dialing is disappointing), and a fine feature set. Still, I find it ironic that Motorola makes another phone called the "RAZR," as the V551 is a classic case of "give away the razor, sell the blades."

This was my first review of this phone. I gave it five big stars....

I was a little skeptical about getting any new phone. I was quite attached to my samsung x426, but it was old, and outdated and didn't have some of the newer features that I needed and wanted.

I'm surprised, but I'm very very happy with my motorala v551. It's not as sleek and pretty as my samsung, but it's more stylish than I had originally thought and it's got a nice feel to it. Good weight and soft blue exterior - it feels quality. The screen is just as big and bright as my samsung and the interface is easy to use.

Text messaging is great and fast! It anticipates exactly what I'm meaning to say...can a phone read your mind?? This one tries and does a good job. Ha! *kidding* The camera and video is good for a phone. And you can take pictures of your friends and have their faces in your address book. You can also assign different rings to each person in your address book. It has a crystal clear speaker phone, the reception is great, and the battery life is satisfactory too.

Now, bluetooth is super cool! But, if you're surfing the web a lot or playing downloaded games (I've gotten addicted to cell phone tetris!!)It's going to deplete your battery life faster. I'm pretty active on my phone but I still only charge it once every night. By the end of the next day I'll notice my battery is half down, so I'll HAVE TO charge it every night. This still has never been a problem. My Samsung would stay fully charged for DAYS...so comparatively I suppose the samsung has better battery life but the v551 is still OK even with active use.

My reception is also clear, but I suspect that has more to do with my service provider than the phone. I'm in an urban area so I always have all bars up. The same was true with my Samsung. It was important to me that all audio is loud. I hear my callers loud and clear. The ringers are loud and clear. And you have the option of downloading any song you want...if you need something even louder!!

I've heard people with concerns over the manual...but I found the set up for most of the features extremely easy. I was able to set up all the major features without it. Even though I wasn't familiar with the motorola interface. I was also able to personalize everything easily and right away. Everything is personalize-able even how you access the screens you use the most. A nice touch. And the Motorola can just do a bunch of fun stuff that my Samsung just couldn't do.

Also, if you travel overseas, or have friends all over the world, this phone works internationally too. Not bad for the price.

This is a good solid phone that does its job and has nice techie features too. I really can't think of anything bad to say about it...except that it's not as girly and cute as my little Samsung! But, I must say, it's cute enough.

Bottom line is...if you want a simple to use durable phone, or something more substantial with high-tech capabilities (but without the high-tech price, of course) then you should definitely take a look at this phone.

Here's my second review after having the phone a little longer...

I wrote another review for this phone and gave it a five-star rating, but after having it a little longer, I'll have to take away a star. It's still a GREAT phone, especially for the price and the features. It's a good value for the money. Consider this however, especially if you are purchasing this phone as your only phone and you choose not to have a ground line.

I used to have a Samsung 426x, which was a super little powerhouse of a phone but lacked any cool features. It would stay powered up for a week, was always crystal clear, only a few dropped calls now and then, and I NEVER turned it off.

I've found that with the Motorola v551 you MUST turn it off once a night and let it fully charge or you will suffer with dropped calls. I think I kept this phone on for two weeks (charging it every night) then all of a sudden, I couldn't maintain a single conversation without major drop out calls. I called the technical people and found that it is because this phone must be turned off every night and allowed to fully charge or it'll go screwy!

I'm doing that now, and all is good with the phone again. I kinda don't like to have to turn the phone off since it is my only phone, but the features and basic quality of the phone still outweigh this inconveniece for me.

But, keep this in mind if you're thinking about purchasing this phone. Depending on how you use your phone, this could be a real problem.